Means for protecting river-banks.



No. 850,244. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

J. A. NABERS.I MEANS FOR PROTECTING RIVER BANKS.

APPLICATION FILED 00w. 22.1906.

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No. 850,244. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. J. A. NABERS.

MEANS FOR PROTEGTING RIVER BANKS.

APPLIGAFUON FILED 00122. 1906.

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JOHN A. NABERS, OF VERNON, TEXAS.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING RIVER-BANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed October 22, 1906. Serial No. 340,049.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. NABERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vernon, in the county of Wilbarger and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for ProtectingRiver-Banks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to provide means forconiining flowing streamsto their natural course and prevent encroachment upon adjoiningterritory by washing away the banks and causing the same to cave in.

The invention may be successfully used in connection with suchwatercourses as are dry for a part of the time or which are continuallyfilled with flowing water, the means serving in windy weather to collectand cause the formation of a bank and which means during a freshet catchgrass and other flowing material, which in time either results in theformation of a bank or prevents washing out and caving in of banks atcertain places.

The invention contemplates the use of barbed wire and supporting meanstherefor, the barbed wire being spaced apart and attached to suitablesupports and arranged to protect that part of the bank liable to erosiveaction or to be located where a bank is to be formed, so as to reclaimland and prevent further encroachment of the river or other flowingwater.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of ariver or watercourse spanned by a bridge and having an indentation inthe bank protected by means embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing a different arrangement of the barbed wiresand other supports. Fig. 3 illustrates a further modification. Fig. 4shows a further modification and illustrates floats constitutingsupporting means for the towers or like attaching means for the barbedwires. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a pier, showing the manner ofattaching the barbed wires thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a floatand the tower erected thereon. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the tower,showing more clearly the means for stretching or tightening the barbedwire.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescriptlon and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In accordance with this invention, which, as stated, is equally welladapted for water courses over which the water continually flows orwhich is dry at certain periods, barbed wire of any make or design isarranged opposite to the part of the bank to be protected or is locatedat such point where a bank is to be formed, so as to reclaim land.already occupied by a portion of the water.

In Fig. 1 the watercourse 1 is spanned by means of a bridge 2 and isindented, as indi cated at 3. It being desired to prevent furtherencroachment of the water along the bank of the indentation 3, as alsoto reclaim all or a part of the land encroached upon, a fence orprojection is located opposite to the indentation and approximately at atangent to the current of the water. Points 4 and 5 having been selectedas terminals of the fence or riparian work, a series of wires arestretched between said points and are secured thereto and at suitableintervals in their length, so as to provide a substantial structurecapable of resisting the action of the stream and the load and strainresulting from material col lecting on and about the fence. As indicatedmost clearly in Fig. 5, the supports 6 are of masonry, and at suitableintervals in the height thereofs ay from six to eight inches the wires 7are embedded, the terminals of the wires being secured at or near thepoints 4 and 5 in. any manner. The ends of the wires 7 near the bridge 2are preferably secured to one of the bridge-piers, whereas the oppositeends near the point 4 are anchored in the bank in any substantial mannerto insure their firm holding. Other wires 8 ex tend from the supports orpiers 6 to points along the bank of the indentation and are anchored tosaid bank, said wires inclining upstream, so as to catch floatingmaterial such as grass, branches or trees, and the like and thismaterial lodging against the wires of the protective fence accumulatesand causes the deposit of silt, mud, and like earthy mat ter, whereby ina comparatively short time the indentation is filled and the bankcorresponds to the fencing 7.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the watercourse 1 is spanned bymeans of a bridge 2, fences being erected atthe ends of the bridge toprotect the same. The fences 9 are inclined upstream and are attached atone end to piers near the ends of the bridge, the opposite ends of thefences being anchored to the banks in any substantial manner. It will beobserved that the fences 9 flare toward the head of the stream, therebydirecting the latter inward and away from the ends of the bridge andpreventing the water from working around and weakening the terminalsupports or the banks adjacent thereto.

Fig. 3 shows a different arrangement of the fences, the same jutting outfrom opposite banks and inclined outward and downward from therespective banks. The outer ends of the fence-wires are attached topiers sup ported upon the bed of the stream, the opposite ends of thewires being anchored to piers on the banks. The fences 10 along one bankalternate with the fences at the opposite bank, thereby insuring thelodgment of foreign matter upon the fences, with the result that thebanks are protected and prevented from cavin in and bein washed awa Theinner ends of the fences 10 do not overlap, thereby leaving anunobstructed passage mid-stream for a rapid current, which soon resultsin deepening the stream or water course at any desired point.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the watercourse 1 is formed with anindentation 3, the bank of which is protected, so as to prevent furtherencroachment of the water and to secure an extension of the bank, so asto confine the stream. The fence-wires 12 are anchored attheir ends inthe bank at points 13 and 14 and are suitably supported intermediate oftheir ends. Each of the intermediate supports consists of a float 15,the same being a barge, scow, or like type of boat. Upon the float,barge, or like device 15 is erected a tower, the same comprising sidepieces which are oppositly inclined and connected at their upper ends,each side piece being formed of oppositely-inclined poles 16 andconnecting-bars 17, the latter being hollow and supporting shafts 18,which are journaled in opposite bars 17. The shafts 18 are provided atone end with "a crank-handle and with suitable ratchet mechanism orother means to hold them in an adjusted position. The fencewires 12 areattached to the shafts 18, and upon turning the latter any slack in thefence-wires may be taken up to prevent sagging and to cause the wires toextend in a straight course between the points 13 and 1 1.

It is to be understood that any kind of wire or like strand may beemployed in cons tructing the protective fencing; but for all practicalpurposes barbed wire is preferred, since it is best adapted for catchingfloating matter. It is also noted that the wires or strands may besingle or provided in any number, the purpose being to construct a wireentanglement for catching moving trash and precipitating silt and thelike.

The invention is admirably adapted to long stretches of river frontage,so as to take advantage of the general course of the river. Asillustrated in the drawings, the protective means may be employed on oneside or bank of the stream or upon both sides, according to theprotection required. In the form of fencing utilizing the Windlass 18 itis preferred to form the wire in a loop and engage such loop over a pinprojected from the windlass, so that upon rotating the latter the wireis drawn from opposite directions.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Meansfor protecting the bank of a river, stream, or similar watercourse, thesame consisting of a series of wires arranged to form a fence extendingin a straight line approximately at a tangent to the current of thewater and piers between which said wires are stretched.

2. Means for protecting the bank of a river or other watercourse, thesame consisting of a wire fencing arranged approximately at a tangent tothe current of the water, and other wire fencing extended from thetangentially-arranged wire fence and inclined therefrom in a directionupstream.

3. Means for protecting the bank of a river, stream or similarwatercourse, the same consisting of a series of wires arranged to form afence and located in the course of the water, the said fence extendingapproximately at a tangent to the current of the water and includingterminal piers and intermediate piers, another wire fence extending fromthe intermediate piers toward the shore and inclined from saidintermediate piers in a direction upstream, and other piers connected tothe shore ends of the last-named wire fence.

4. Means for protecting the banks of rivers, streams, or similarwatercourses, the same consisting of a line of wires 7 locatedwithin-the stream and extending approximately tangentially to thecurrent of the stream, terminal piers and intermediate piers betweenwhich said wires are stretched, the intermediate piers being locatedwithin the stream, and a plurality of parallel other wires 8 connectedto the intermediate piers and extending therefrom in an inclineddirection upstream and piers secured to the shore ends of the saidlast-named wires.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. NABERS.

Witnesses:

W. B. TOWNSEND, O. Q. CRAWFORD.

